Ariel walked into the palace and immediately felt overwhelmed. There were so many people and she didn't know a single soul. She also felt underdressed, surprisingly. Sure, she had a beautiful gown on, but it was very simple compared to all the other women. They had full ball gowns with floral embellishments and a metallic sheen. Much fancier than she was wearing. It was hard not to feel threatened in such a new environment. There was no way that Eric would even look at her compared to all these gorgeous women. She wished Killian was by her side. She was braver with him. She continued making her way around the party, trying to fit in, when someone nudged her. This caused her to lose her balance and topple into someone else.
"I am so, so sorry," Ariel stated. "I'm so clumsy." The woman she stumbled into turned around to face her. "Oh, it's alright. Accidents happen! No harm done here." The woman she was looking at was stunning. She had rich auburn hair, similar to Ariel but much more styled. And she was wearing a floor length dress in lavender. It had a similar silhouette to Ariel's, but much more detailed and complex. Clearly expensive. "Wow," was all Ariel could mutter.
"The same to you. It's apparent you have impeccable taste," the beautiful stranger said. "Now, don't waste your time over here talking to me. Go find yourself a prince!" Ariel nodded in responses to this kind girl and continued on her way. While she should have felt empowered by the woman's compliment, it just made her worry even more. She couldn't tell if this girl was being genuine or mocking her for her simple taste. Regardless, she couldn't handle this atmosphere anymore. She had to get away from all of this. She found a back door that led out to balcony and starting weaving through people to get there.
Ariel stepped outside and looked out over the land. The ocean was glittering, with the moonlight reflecting in the water. Once again, Ariel felt herself longing for the sea. She didn't even need to be a mermaid again, she just wanted to feel the fluid motion of the waves.
Just then she heard footsteps. She turned around and found, not a person, but a dog. A fluffy sheep dog approached her, with its tongue hanging out of his mouth.
Ariel knelt down to the greet the dog, saying "Hi there buddy." She scratched his head and ran her fingers through his fur. As she was playing with the dog, she heard the door open.
"Max?" A voice called. The dog ran to the voice and Ariel looked up only to see Eric. "There you are. And I see you made a new friend." Eric walked over to her and held his hand out to her. "What's your name?"
"Ariel."
"I'm Eric. Now what's a beauty like you doing out here by yourself when there's a party going on inside?"
"I just needed to get some air. It's a little overwhelming in there."
"Now that I understand. My parents are always throwing me these lavish parties in the hopes I find someone to take as my wife. But all the girls here are the same. Concerned with their appearance and the chance of becoming a royal. You seem different though."
She just shrugged and smiled shyly at his comment. She didn't know exactly what to say.
"I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't ask you for a dance. Care to join me inside?" She smiled and nodded, following him to the dance floor.
Eric was great at making small talk, and he truly was a very nice guy. But he wasn't the prince charming that she was expecting. He was a perfect specimen, but he wasn't perfect for her.
They had been dancing and Ariel had been keeping up just fine, but there was no emotion in this dance. They were merely moving robotically instead of following the music and improvising on occasion. Her thoughts were interrupted by his voice.
"Ariel, you're a lovely girl and I've enjoyed our brief encounter tonight. May I see you again?"
Ariel froze on the inside. This should have been the moment she'd been waiting for her whole life. Why did it feel like something was missing?